The Camping Forum

[in-a-tent]

near enough perfect
Score 5 out of 5
24 Feb 10

I have not tried this on a camping trip yet (well, it is still February), but at home I find it brilliant. I was looking at various coffee machines to replace one which had broken, and decided that I would try this before investing in a ...
Read the full Aeropress Coffee Maker review

[Former Scout]

I first heard about the Aeropress several years back and actually bought it on a trip to New York when prices here were MUCH higher than they are now. It's interesting to read how this company have made a habit of looking at established products, stripping them down to find what makes them work and then re-inventing them.

What the Aeropress produces is a very smooth, flavoursome cup of coffee with very little bitterness. At the risk of sounding disparaging the coffee could be described as inoffensive; I say this because many friends of mine who are not big coffee drinkers have loved the coffee that it produces and several have gone on to buy one for themselves. The reason why it works so well is that all the coffee grinds get a rapid, full and equal saturation unlike, say, filter/drip coffee machines that tend to over-saturate the grind directly under the water spout and under-saturate the grind to the side. I'm sure that the filter paper plays a part in this also, as well as (allegedly) reducing the cholesterol.

The attention to detail in the product is very good. You get a funnel so that you can pour in the coffee grind without it spilling over the work-top (though I rarely bother with it) and a stirrer that is so designed that it will just hover above the filter paper and so wont damage it. I was concerned that the the rubber bung that is essential to maintain the pressure during plunging might prove to be a point of weakness but there is no sign of wear and tear after three and a half years of constant use and it does the job as well now as it did when I first bought it.

Cleaning it is a doddle: I simply plunge the spent grind in the bin or composter and rinse under the tap.

I readily give the Aeropress 5/5, but it is not the answer to all your coffee needs: it is not suitable for making coffee for more than three or four at a time. The instructions suggest that you should make a small amount of very strong (espresso-strength) coffee and then divide into several cups and dilute with hot water to produce Americanos. I really can't be bothered with all that and simply serve full-strength, full-volume mugs of coffee; but doing that for more than a couple of people at a time is tiresome so dinner guests get the French Press.

This is a safe purchase that you will use again and again. I strongly and enthusiastically recommend it.